


The Heart Of Metal

by TheDreamingScorpio



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dimension Travel, F/F, F/M, Love, May Get Darker, Not Beta Read, Psychological Trauma, Rating May Change, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28152603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDreamingScorpio/pseuds/TheDreamingScorpio
Summary: Son Goten has grown tired of the monotony of his life, and wonders as to where he went wrong, was he so forgettable? Was he so lackluster that his life couldn't be at all happening? Isn't he the highlight of anyone's life?That is until one phone call changes everything...
Relationships: Son Goten/Original Character(s), Son Goten/Valese (past)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first project and I'd love to hear your views and opinions on my work. I kinda got this idea from a song, and I'm not really sure about the finer details of the story, but I've got a broad idea, let's see how it pans out!  
> Really excited!  
> Love Always!

Goten sighed. He was tired and did not feel like doing anything more at the moment. About two years back he had started working as a veterinary doctor, and although his job was very demanding, he sure wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

After all, no matter what anybody thought he had worked very hard to be where he was today and nobody could tell him otherwise. He may not be as innately smart as Gohan, or a genetic genius like Trunks, but he was not to be mistaken to be a run-of-the-mill product, and he had proved himself by becoming a vet.

_Or so he thought..._

His mother though happy that he was his own man now, would occasionally slip up and let it known how much happier she would've been had he become a medical doctor instead. Although she tried to cover up immediately after, it still hurt, and her covering up somehow only managed to make it worse.

Ah well....

Honestly, Goten loved his job, no matter the hours, the sometimes outright bizarre conditions, or the criticism he received on a daily basis, he worked a job that combined his love for animals and making people happy, isn't that all that matters?

Given the amount of studying he dedicated himself to, he knew he could've become a medical doctor, but contrary to people's thinking he had willingly chosen to become a vet instead, since he was good with animals and it was far less demanding than the other option.

In the end, he figured the only person he needed to make happy was himself and...

_Ring Ring_

His thoughts were interrupted by a phone call, he glanced at the wall clock, 9:50, hmm, odd time to be receiving a call, he checked the caller ID, Bulma...oh, he kinda wished it'd had been Trunks instead but since he got married 4 years back nothing had been really the same since. He shook his head to clear his mind and and picked up his still ringing cell phone..

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey Goten how are you?"

For a brief moment, Goten debated as to whether he should give her the honest truth, but then sighed and decided to stick with a conversational, "I'm doing good Bulma, and you?"

"Well I was just wondering as to when was the last time that all the Z fighters were together, and since I couldn't recall, I figured it just had been too long!"

Now that he thought about it, even he couldn't remember the last time that happened, wasn't it Trunks' wedding?, but no his father hadn't been there, not that it was anything out of the ordinary...

"Uh huh.."

"...Yeah, so I was thinking of hosting a get-together coming Saturday..."

He didn't like where this was going..

"...yeah and since Goku is also here for a change,and not wandering off like a monkey...hey...you're there right?"

"...uh, yeah...yeah sure Bulma!"

"Wow, well that was easy, so then your dinner this Saturday, to be hosted by the Capsule Corp, ooh...I already like the sound of that, you're such a good kid Goten, see you then!"

"..yeah..Bul.."

_Sigh._

He really wanted to know what his best friend was up to, since their times together were few and far in between, not that anyone was to be blamed, afterall you can't expect the president of a multi-trillion dollar company to be free for playdates.

No.He wasn't gonna do that, he was no better either and his mother left no oppurtunity unfounded to remind him of that.

He was doing it again damn it.That's it.Too much work for today, time to turn in.

So he got off the couch, fully intending to sleep, cleared the take-out containers from the table and opened the door to his bedroom and laid down on the flannel sheets his mother had given him. As soon as he hit the bed, he was out like a light.

Not that it helped any.

The morning after his restless night, he was rudely awakened by a frantic knock on the front door, he squinted at his alarm clock... _4:37_ , flashing blearily at him in red.

He was pissed, beyond pissed, scowling he sprinted off his bed, with just one intention, to give the shitty person who dared to disturb him at this ungodly hour, a piece of his mind...

"Who the heck do you think you..."

He opened the latch and was met with a very apologetic looking young woman, and in her arms a dog he could recognize anywhere, _Cepheus_.

He always wondered who was the owner of the said bearded collie, not only was his name a little strange for a dog, but he also acted like it.

Apparently, Cepheus was named after a constellation, which basically stood for 'The King', and although his breed weren't commonly shy, they weren't aggressive either, so for him to come across a fussy and arrogant bouncing beardie was quite a surprise.

Though he was used to it by now, he was his most frequent patient, at merely 1.5 years , he sure had a lot of health issues. He often thought about having a word with the owner personally, both for medical reasons and out of sheer curiosity, but never really got the chance, that is until today...

As soon as he caught site of the young woman, his words died in his throat, she was a crying mess, with her hair all disheveled, shivering uncontrollably, from the cold or from whatever had upset her he did not know.

He tapped into his role as a vet and saw the bored looking face of the beardie, no surprise there and realized he must be the reason for her torment.

He noticed the woman was still in her pajamas, and still shivering and crying inconsolably so, swallowing his long forgotten anger and irritation, he put a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped and looked at him as if she just realized where she was, her green eyes suddenly wide.

He flinched slightly, not the best move on his part, but felt relieved when a sense of reality returned to her, and she was back to being red-faced and decidedly shy.

"Come on in, let's talk about it, over some tea.."

Facing the ground, she only nodded. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I think it goes without saying but in case I wasn't clear earlier:
> 
> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. 
> 
> Thank You, please lemme know your thoughts on my work!
> 
> Love Always!

Time had gone by in a whirlwind, with Goten finding some warm clothes for his company, making some tea and gathering the necessary tools and supplies. While the whole time the young woman had only exchanged common courtesies whenever Goten would bring her something, which they were done with in the first ten minutes of her arrival.

Despite the ruckus that he had created, the house was quiet, almost too quiet. 

Case in a nut shell, the last twenty minutes saw the three occupants of the house to, in Goten's case grow increasingly curious and observant, the woman's gaze to get lost in the depths of infinity, and for well, _Cepheus_ to become more irritable with each passing minute.

Goten had finally found his cauterizer. It was kept in his store room since he hadn't had to use it in quite sometime now, it was the one he used previously, and since getting a new one he kept it at home in case of an emergency. He didn't think that he'll be requiring it today, given the bored and irritated expression that marked his patient's face. But that was the thing, the dog although one of his most frequent patients, still managed to throw him for a loop with his seemingly impenetrable expression, the same 'the hell do you care ' expression adorned his face, be it an ingrown nail or a gaping wound. 

It seemed as though if given the chance to converse akin to a human being, he'd list all the complaints in the world and manage to find a fault with even the most _perfect_ of things.

Well in reality Goten himself never really believed in the concept that the word _'perfect'_ embodied, in his opinion nothing was completely flawless, it was just the mere coincidence, that if what one sought was what the other provided, the two pieces seemed to fit together, therefore creating the illusion of what people called _'perfect'_. And of course, he was familiar with the universal use of _'perfect'_ and came to the conclusion, that there are certain things people perceive as desirable universally, like symmetry for one, and that's okay, but to then announce that the person or the object is utterly flawless was a bit absurd in his opinion.

But then again, was it his need to rationalize everything, or his general dislike for the word, he didn't know, perhaps he'd heard it too many times in his lifetime as a constant reminder to know exactly what he wasn't, eh no point dwelling over things that bring a sour taste to your mouth...

Though that still lead him to think, that if people's version of _'perfection'_ was so hard to come by, almost everyone did settle for something less, like 'good' or even 'great' at times. 'Cause unlike _'perfection'_ , Goten knew for a fact that those things existed and that they weren't half bad, in fact, despite the irony of his thought-process, those 'good' or 'great' may even be somebody's version of 'perfect'!

So, why the hell did _Cepheus,_ have that rotten expression on his face, no matter what hour of the day it might be! He really failed to understand how an baby animal could prove to be much more difficult to deal with than an adult human being. Weren't animals supposed to be nicer?

Every time he happened to meet him, it appeared as though he were mocking, challenging him to do something, anything to change the opinion his little underdeveloped mind had conjured up of him. Oh and how Goten hated it!

Moreover what really worried him was the state of the young woman currently sitting on his couch. Empty tea cup held in hands, as if it were a life-saver, determinedly staring straight ahead unblinking, it was a miracle how the wall didn't have a hole burned through it. It was her reaction that had told Goten to be prepared for anything and everything, and he was glad to have found his cauterizer.

Now with all the necessary tasks out of the way, he went to the kitchen to fetch his cup of tea...only to realize it had _gone cold._

"Ah shit!" 

Now Goten wasn't a person for whom cursing was a regular occurrence, also given the fact that he was in the presence of one of his patients, it was highly unprofessional of him. So, instinctively as soon as he realized he had cursed out loud, he immediately regretted it and his eyes darted towards the couch. But noticing that the house was still eerily quiet, and that his slip-up had gone unnoticed, his more pressing concern was to talk to the woman as soon as possible.

That's how he found himself in the kitchen reheating his long forgotten chamomile tea, while silently mulling over how strange the whole incident was! The woman's features weren't lost on him, the way her green eyes looked at him, flipped his stomach.

She reminded him of someone, someone he could never forget, the girl from his early days with his reputation as a womanizer, the only girl he had been silly and pretend-serious with, the only girl he could be anyone with, yet she still wouldn't forget his name, the girl who had made him realize that although fun, that wasn't the life he wanted, the girl who had seen him transition from a technical adult to behaving like an actual adult, the girl who's heart he had broken, by telling her it wasn't her, it was him _...Valese._

Valese had brown eyes, with a tinge of green _,_ not quite hazel, no, but not quite brown either, her chestnut hair cinched at her waist, making her seem incredibly gorgeous, her pale skin contrasting against her dark features, her plum lips always chewing a strawberry flavored gum, and the way she spoke his name, blinking her large eyes at him, always managed to melt him.

So, then why did he leave her you ask? 

Well, the answer was simple really, or complete bullshit depending on who you are, _she was too easy._ From the moment he'd met her she was googly-eyed, and was willing to put up with his every whim, without batting an eyelash. She acted as though star-struck, which although boosted his ego, did not make him feel good in the long run.

People, be it family, friends, passersby or even young kids seemed to adore them, and on one occasion Trunks told them that they were even compatible when it came to their level of intellect, Valese had just laughed it off, yeah she was like that, but Goten seemed to take it a bit more seriously. Of course, it was to be taken light-heartedly, but it did make him question, was he her king and they the world's laughing stock?

He knew that she was a bit ditzy he did, but that never bothered him, she was beside him in almost all he did, gave him the confidence to pursue his career as a vet, and was beside him through all his embarrassing phases while he figured himself out. The best thing about her she was always smiling, rain, shine or thunder, she kept her smile on and the only time he had ever seen her cry was when he ended his relationship with her, he had never seen her look so.. _.broken_ , but he supposed it was for the best given that he was subjecting himself to an insane amount of study, and to be honest, he was afraid.

Afraid, that he may take her shine away, as ridiculous as it may sound to anyone else, he knows he was right in his decision.

So, when the brunette had shown up at his doorstep in the wee hours of the morning, with the most troublesome patient he had ever come across, he was feeling a lot of feelings, but above all he was confused. Why was this happening? Was it all a coincidence? And if not, why so many years later?

Now that his tea was hot enough to be consumed, he made his way towards the living room where the as of now unknown woman and Cepheus, sat looking just like they were, about twenty minutes earlier

He grabbed himself a chair from the dining table, not wanting to get comfortable on the couch just yet, and knowing _Cepheus_ , ready to entertain him at a moments notice.

The scraping of the chair's legs against the floor wood seemed to snap her out of her reverie, and she gave him the same frightened look as earlier in the morning.

She quickly got off the couch, and started exclaiming animatedly.

"Dr. Son, my apologies, I know this isn't by any means the right time to have disturbed you, hell I did not even give you a call, or notify you of my arrival, but the thing is that it was an emergency..."

Noticing how she was panting and red-faced again, he decided to cut her off..

"Please, call me Goten. I'm off-duty and these aren't my working hours.."

At this, the woman gave him an abashed look and hung her head low.

Noticing this he quickly amended..

"...not that I mind in the least, after all I am a doctor and if I'm not available to my patients when they need me, what good am I?"

At this, the woman, lifted her head so fast he was afraid she had snapped something vital, and gave him a disbelieving look, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears .

He held a calm composure and gave her a reassuring smile. Noticing this her features softened and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Please take a seat, calm yourself and talk to me so that I'm capable of helping you."

Slightly nodding her head, apparently still shaken, she sat down waking Cepheus, who was seemingly comfortable nestled into her arms resulting in him growling slightly.

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to compose herself and looked up with twinkling eyes.

"Let me start by introducing myself, I'm Odette..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know this was an exceptionally late update, I hope I'm not so scatterbrained next time 'round, one can only hope right? Anyway, this chapter has more of the story actually going forward and some character detailing. I hope you like it! Lemme know your thoughts in the comment section!
> 
> Love Always!

Odette was... _outspoken_. It was quite evident in the first five minutes of their conversation that she was a highly emotional being.

She expressed herself in a way that Goten had never seen anybody do. It was like she was reliving the whole ordeal all over again, in a mere recitation of earlier events, complete with her going from being completely calm to entering a state of utter trainwreck panic in a matter of minutes.

"Yeah, so like I was sleepin' " she goes on speaking in a heavy accent which he wasn't sure could even be considered one, it was just that she dragged her words, the start and the end of her words weren't really distinguishable and it sounded she really needed a lot of cough syrup.

She then goes on to fully lay down on the worn-out couch, fiddling slightly with her septum ring, which was quite subdued as compared to the newer looking eyebrow piece and the lip ring on the left side of her lower lip. All of them in what could only be described as a pinkish shade of gold, wait...he knows this, what was it called again? 

...Ah yes, rose gold, Erika would be proud!

He still did not know whether letting Erika go was the best decision on his part. He had hired her because she was a friend of Pan and Bra's, they had told him how supportive of a friend and was looking for a job. Given the fact that it was a desk job and called for a friendly, non-judgmental face with some technical know-how, she seemed like the best option. And she was, that is until she looked at the notifications on her phone. She was a teenager after all and for that reason alone Goten didn't even blame her. It was a mutual decision to replace her and he was relieved that he didn't have to fix her 'fixes', but the only problem was he still hadn't found anyone to replace her with, the calls were getting increasingly seldom...

"And then I was like, wait what's that?" her face twisting into an expression of confusion.

Odette immediately shot off the couch, frantic, and then sharply dip her head in horror, and let out a startled shriek. It was so real that even Goten followed her gaze enraptured by her performance.

Holding an invisible body she begins to sob hysterically, "Cepheus.. my _bebek_ , what's happening to you?" she continues to sob loudly, ignoring everything around her.

The scene is bizarre, to say the least. 

Goten keeps on watching, unblinking until an exceptionally loud wail from Odette snaps him back to reality. He quickly rushes over to her and contemplates how to bring her out of her trance without spooking her again.

"... my _bebek_... do you... well... breathe, why are you... struggling to breathe?" she continued in a breathless cry, gasping for air herself, so much so that Goten thought that she might pass out.

Unable to come up with anything subtler than clearing his throat, he approaches her cautiously and makes sure to stand in her line of sight.

Just as he is getting into position, Odette flails one of her arms in palpable desperation and accidentally brushes it against his arm.

This time it was nobody's fault, not that any of the previous times were, but Goten winced.

Great. Just freaking great.

She was looking at him with the same frightened look as earlier in the morning and Goten felt bad.

Though this time he realized her eyes weren't all green, they were, in fact, hazel.

Really taking in her appearance for the first time, he noticed that her brown hair had hints of caramel peeking through, bunched up on her head in the form of a supposed bun, too messy to be considered stylish in its current state, the ends red from a fading hair color he supposed, all tousled into a big heap bearing more similarity to a bird's nest than anyone's head. Her skin looked tired but otherwise, was a flawless freckly bronze, her plump cheeks flushed, her rose lips bruised and chapped, probably from her nervous biting, he assumed. 

Her eyes were getting glassy, wait, that's bad...

"Okay, so erratic breathing, got it! Where does he sleep daily, since I assume that you were surprised to find him in your bedroom?"

Odette blinked but did not respond. Instead, she turned away, her face suddenly red, panting heavily.

He was caught off-guard by her peculiar reaction, he couldn't understand what brought that on! Was it something he said, he did?

He recalled their entire conversation and couldn't come up with anything.

Was he too close? Was he in an embarrassing situation?

Nope and _nope again_.

Is she just _shy?_

She did not seem like a shy person if that was the case.

His observations were well-founded of course since her appearance itself spoke volumes about how much of a creative person she was. Her fading hair color, the piercings, color littering almost every visible patch of skin by intricate designs and among them the most striking piece of all-a wide butterfly, with its wings framing her jawline.

She was a work of art, and he supposed you'd have to have a certain amount of rebel and boldness in your character to be able to pull it off.

Then what had made her react that way?

She finally turned around. 

Though apparently, she was more interested in the floor than in him and stuttered...

"I-I can ex-explain!"

Although she was speaking, it was almost as if she was afraid of him. But why?

_At least she wasn't crying..._

"H-He can _fly_..." It was barely above a whisper, almost as if it wasn't meant to be heard.

Goten paused. Wait... _what?_

It is safe to say that out of all the possible responses he'd expected, this was not one of them.

Okay, he's a Saiyan himself, at least half of it, so that shouldn't bother him so much right?

More so, she doesn't know that! .. _.Right?_

Of course not!

Then why does it have to be one of the weirdest moments of his life?

Deciding to look up from the floor, she caught the squinty-eyed stare that Goten had fixed her with, and she immediately caught hold of his robe, looking at him with those wide and pleading  
hazel eyes.

Was it _shy_ you said? Well, think again!

"My _bebek_ can fly!"

 _Bebek_...hmm, Turkish, so was she Turkish? It didn't seem like it, since the distinct accent only came out when she said that word; also there was the fact that he just knew she wasn't.

"Wh-"

"I'm telling you, Dr.Son, he can! He-I've even found him on the toilet seat! You've seen those legs, he has zero ground clearance!"

"He's planning something big, I just know it, but his health is hindering his plans, you have to help him!" she exclaimed shaking the fabric vigorously.

Her panicked stare bore into his eyes, and just then Goten's cell phone rang, and Odette was back to being... _shy?_

He excused himself from the room, breathing a sigh of relief, tightening his robe around his body again, he stepped into his bedroom, pressing answer without having checked the caller ID.

"...Hello?" he answered in a sleepy voice, yawning slightly.

A deep, rich voice from the other side answered him.

"Hello, have I reached Dr. Son Goten?"

He immediately felt a little more awake when he heard the unknown woman's voice.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"I heard you have a position open for a secretary/receptionist. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Well if the position hasn't been filled yet, will you be interested in interviewing me for the same? Any day of the week at any time works for me."

He had interviewed many candidates but while some of them couldn't operate a computer, most of them were just slow typists. Understandably so, the biggest issue he faced was the erratic work hours and therefore it was no surprise he unable to find anyone.

While the woman seemed to be one of the most confident candidates, and he was desperately in need of another working hand, he did have to know if he'd be wasting his and her time, if she had any such problems.

"If I were to employ you, your job would entail updating data records, and at times heavy typing. The work hours shall be changing almost on the daily. Do you think you can work with that?"

"Of course Dr.Son, I can perfectly keep up with the workload and the _Saiyan body clock_ and I may even outstand you."

A cold sweat ran down his back.

"W-Who are you?"

"Your new secretary, _Maze_."

Is this really happening?

"You-"

"I'm not a threat Dr.Son, please calm down. So, what time works for you?"

"But-"

"And before you say anything else, we both know you want to know who I am, so why don't we talk in a civil setting? Sounds good?"

He couldn't believe it, how did things take such a wild turn?

Well, she... whoever she is, was right, although that didn't make it any better.

So forcing in a deep breath, he replied with a curt, "9 A.M. Don't be late."

With that he ran a hand through his hair, gathering it up in a fist, and threw the cell phone on the bed.

Walking out he spotted Odette and Cepheus on the couch. She seemed to be much more calmer. She heard him close the bedroom door and beamed at him, he smiled slightly.

_Well, at least that was nice..._

"He's fine now. Just fell asleep, and is breathing normally now!" she whisper-shouted.

That was good, he supposed, but he still hadn't got the chance to examine him.

He saw a notepad on the table and scribbled,

_'That's good, keep him warm and hydrated, and if possible bring him down for a visit today at the clinic. I'll give you some mild sedatives just in case. I'll leave you home, I'd advise you to get some rest yourself, and don't worry everything will be fine!'_

_'In case of an emergency, here's my personal cell: +XX XXXXXXXXXX, give me a call anytime.'_

He tore off the yellow note and handed it over to her, she read it and her cheeks took on a slightly pinkish hue.

She gave him a hesitant nod, stood up, and was about to take off the coat given to her, when Goten stopped her and tightened it around her and Cepheus, whispering a "Don't worry about it." in her ear, making her blush profusely.

They walked over to the foyer and were about to open the door, when she suddenly hugged him tightly, and voiced a timid, "Thank You for everything...D- _Goten_!"

He smiled whole-heartedly this time, this was what he worked for!

He stroked her back in acknowledgment, and they walked out in the cold winter morning.

It was gonna be a long Monday.

**Author's Note:**

> https://thedreamingscorpio.tumblr.com/


End file.
